Do broken water lines hurt the SA water supply? (San Antonio: hydrant, yard)

[OzzyRules]

We've heard a lot about busted water main lines throughout the summer. We hear complaints about how all the "wasted" water just runs down the street.

But does it really matter? Aside from the work required to fix them, is the water really wasted? What I mean is, doesn't all that water just sink back into the aquifer?

[AnthonySA]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

We've heard a lot about busted water main lines throughout the summer. We hear complaints about how all the "wasted" water just runs down the street.

But does it really matter? Aside from the work required to fix them, is the water really wasted? What I mean is, doesn't all that water just sink back into the aquifer?

I would imagine a very small percentage of the water from water main breaks actually goes back into the Edwards Aquifer. Most of the water runs off impermeable asphalt surfaces and runs off into the sewer system where it is more than likely sent to a SAWS Waste Water Treatment plant. The treated water is then sent downstream along the rivers south of town emptying in the bays near the Gulf of Mexico.

For there to even be a chance of seeing the water return into the Edwards Aquifer, the water main break would have to occur over the Recharge Zone (which is generally near and along 1604 on the north side). Even then, resulting flood would have to be deep enough to pour into some of the surrounding land.

[scuba steve]

The however many thousand gallons that leaked out through a hairline crack in a main at my place mostly just turned part of the front yard into a swamp, even though I'm on the recharge zone. My guess is most of it evaporated rather than seeping back down into the ground. Having fixed a couple of these small leaks before, it really doesn't take a whole lot to make it into the thousands of gallons per month range. I've seen bad toilet valves do it.

[wellguy]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

We've heard a lot about busted water main lines throughout the summer. We hear complaints about how all the "wasted" water just runs down the street.

But does it really matter? Aside from the work required to fix them, is the water really wasted? What I mean is, doesn't all that water just sink back into the aquifer?

As stated previously, water from main breaks over the recharge zone could "potentially" return to the Aquifer. Also mentioned was the impervious cover which routes the flow into stormdrains and eventually in most cases into the San Antonio River down to the Gulf. Certainally there is water that flows into areas where it puddles and seeps into the soil and /or evaporates. Many of the main breaks have been in areas where the mains are constructed of Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, and Concrete.
I wish I had a dollar for every main break that SAWS has repaired this year. SAWS does figure into the annual pumpage water loss due to main breaks, stolen water, required regulatory hydrant /dead end main flushing, etc.
The high number of main breaks is due to the dry shifting soils. This rain is excellent but too much can result in the same.